


Out of Breath

by Rose_gold_goddess



Series: The Beautiful Calm [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Casual Route Spoilers (Mystic Messenger), Declarations Of Love, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Smut, MC is an OC, Near Death Experiences, Protective Zen | Ryu Hyun, Romantic Fluff, Smut, Vaginal Sex, Zen | Ryu Hyun's Route, not necessarily canon compliant, safe sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 18:15:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17492819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_gold_goddess/pseuds/Rose_gold_goddess
Summary: Their close call with danger leads to Zen and Jolie making a few declarations, now that they're alone at last.





	Out of Breath

Run, run, _run._

Zen's hand was slick in hers, but he tightened his fingers and continued pulling her along after him. Every breath felt like a tight band was around her chest, constricting her, but she couldn't stop now even if her thin-soled slippers were making her feet ache.

_Just watch as I take your girl and disappear._

The words were still playing on a loop in her mind, the look on Zen's face etched into her memory - anger, terror, determination. The salty taste of the attempted kidnapper’s skin lingered in her mouth, too - from the chance Jolie had taken to escape. She wanted to wash her mouth out, try to forget it had happened -

Zen turned a corner and stopped, and Jolie looked around him to see - they were on his street. For a moment he glanced this way and that, waiting as if to make certain the coast was clear. It took her several seconds to realize he was looking for antis or reporters, not necessarily their pursuer. But the scandal with Echo Girl seemed so long ago instead of merely hours.

Once he'd determined no one was waiting for him, Zen gently tugged her hand and hurried her along with him to his apartment and slammed the door as soon as they were inside. He bolted the locks, double checking them before he looked away from the door to where Jolie stood frozen in place.

Barely a second passed before he had her in his arms, crushing her against his chest as if terrified she might slip away. “Jolie - Jolie, Jolie, Jolie,” he murmured, tightening his arms each time he said it until she let out a whimper.

“How - how did you know? H-how did you find -” she began, but her voice came out muffled against his chest and she doubted he could make out anything she was saying. “Zen…”

Still he held her, seemingly unwilling to let her go. Gradually her body relaxed into his, the immediacy of fear and the adrenaline slowly leaving her until she felt exhausted. Her mind finally began to work, gears slowly turning as she began to come to terms with what had just happened.

“Jolie!” Zen cried, tightening his hold on her as she went limp, legs giving out as she tried to grab his arms for support.

Her world tilted, lurched as the ground pulled away from her feet. No, that wasn’t it - _she_ was pulled off the ground. A strong arm rested beneath her knees, the other around her back, and she slipped her arms around his neck. Zen cradled her against his chest as if she was the most precious burden in the world as he carried her to his room.

He knelt on the bed and pulled her with him, reclining against his pillows so he could settle her in his lap. The skin of his neck was hot, but reassuringly so, and she buried her face into its crook as if that could help her block out the memories. How long he held her, the salty wetness of her tears coating them both, she wasn’t certain.

His murmurs of her name and how tightly he held her cemented the reality that she was safe. Despite what she had just been through - she believed it, allowed herself to trust that he had her and nothing else could hurt her now.

“You’re - you’re shivering, you must be freezing,” he murmured when her tears had finally calmed. “I’ll give you some clothes, let me - here.”

With a few kisses to her forehead he lifted her out of his lap and laid her on the bed. Before he turned to find any clothes he removed her slippers and pulled blankets over her. He tucked them around her, until only the top of her head peeked out of the cocoon he made for her. She curled up, holding tight to the sheets as she listened to him moving around the room opening drawers.

“Here, honey - but - hm.” As he trailed off into a thoughtful hum she felt something land on the covers near her and lifted her head to look. One of his shirts was lying beside her on the bed, and when she glanced up she saw him digging through another drawer. “I can’t find any sweats - I’ll be right back, okay? Just stay here. I’ll just be in the other room, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay,” she murmured.

He gave a hesitant but reassuring smile before he left the room, and for a moment she simply laid in his bed feeling numb, yet secure. She pushed herself to her elbows, looking around for a moment before she dug in the large pocket in her oversized sweater for her smartphone. As she pulled it out it pinged, vibrating with a soft alert that the chat room was active.

 

[707]: I saw...Zen and Jolie running away just now.

[707]: Jolie, where are you!?

[Jolie]: I’m at Zen’s place…

[707]: You escaped…

[707]: So it was worth it to listen to him screaming at my house...haha

 

Jolie grimaced and looked at the door to the bedroom, trying to picture Zen screaming at anyone except the strange young man who had had his arm around her neck. But Zen was in the chatroom, though he hadn’t said -

He sent a fuming emoji just then, and despite herself she smiled slightly.

 

[Zen]: Seven you…

[707]: Gahh ~ Scary person!

[Zen]: You said she was safe… yeah right.

[Zen]: This white haired psycho came to the apartment!

[707]: What?

[Jolie]: I don't know who he was, I was so scared…

[Zen]: I know, I’m sure you were…

[Zen]: Something really bad could have happened if I hadn’t gone there!!

[Zen]: When I went, **he held the bomb switch and threatened us… He was gonna blow up the place!**

[707]: ...I didn’t see him on the camera...

[Zen]: **He broke through the window.**

[707]: How is that possible!? It’s bullet proof glass!! And on the 14th floor??

 

Another angry emoji from Zen, and Jolie pushed herself up to a sitting position, setting her phone aside for a moment. She slipped out of the sweater and leggings she wore, suddenly not wanting to feel any reminder of what had happened. Her clothes felt scratchy, suffocating, and she wasn’t certain she could see them talking about it again.

 

[Zen]: Is that the problem right now? Jolie was seconds away from getting kidnapped!

[Zen]: I’m not joking right now.

[Zen]: **I’m furious.**

 

In the kitchen she could hear him opening and closing cabinets, setting something down angrily on the counter with a loud clank.

 

[Jolie]: Zen...calm down, I’m safe. I’m in your room, the door is closed - nothing can hurt me right now.

 

Another _something_ was set down hard on the counter, and she set her phone aside to pull on the shirt he had left for her. It was one of his normal shirts, but on her it came to the middle of her thighs. It was soft, and she was relieved to find that it wasn’t as suffocating as her clothes had been. She sat back on the bed and picked up her phone, only to see that she’d missed quite a few messages from the other two.

 

[Zen]: I’m so sorry that i have to say this in front of you, Jolie…

[Zen]: But there is a serious problem with the RFA

[Zen]: **now that things have come to this.**

[707]: T_T

[Zen]: Seven……

[Zen]: YOU AND V ARE SO IRRESPONSIBLE!!

[Zen]: That freaking psychopath could have kidnapped Jolie!!! Does that make sense to you!?

[707]: What did he look like? Be more specific.

[Zen]: He was wearing flashy clothes. A leather jacket… He was pretty much the same height as you, and his hair was bleached gray.

[Zen]: I didn’t get a good look at his face, but he had a tattoo on his left arm.

[707]: Do you remember what it looked like?

[Zen]: It looked like an eye.

[707]: His voice?

[Zen]: He had a fairly feminine voice.

[707]: Alright, I’ll look into it.

[Zen]: **And he knew about you. He said something like… “I already have Luciel’s device figured out”**

 

Seven sent a surprised emoji, and Jolie curled in on herself, remembering the shiver she’d felt, the fear that he’d press the button. But she took a deep breath, trying to push the memory aside by focusing on the scent of clean laundry clinging to the shirt she wore.

 

[Jolie]: He seemed to know you Seven… but not in a good way.

[707]: … who is it?;;;

[Zen]: You’d better find out who it is.

[Zen]: **I’m not gonna let this one go.**

[707]: Okay…

[707]: So...is Jolie safe?

[Jolie]: Yes, thanks to Zen I wasn’t hurt at all.

[707]: Zen...that’s amazing.

[Zen]: Amazing or not… She really could have been kidnapped, I was so surprised;;

[Zen]: God…

[Zen]: It gives me the creeps thinking about the fact that he touched her. **She’s going to stay with me now.**

[Zen]: To be honest… I can’t let her be with anyone in the RFA with what just happened.

 

Again she heard a cabinet slam in the kitchen, but she curled back up in the blankets for a moment, enjoying the softness of his sheets as she typed in an answer.

 

[Jolie]: I understand, Zen. Of course.

[Zen]: Thanks, Jolie.

 

She set her phone aside when it continued chiming softly as they began bickering again, as Zen vented his rage at Seven and V for their stupidity. For leaving her alone, in an apartment... _with a bomb._

_Deep breath. Breathe, breathe - you're safe. He's got you._

With one last deep breath she opened her phone again and saw Zen still trying to hammer his point home.

 

[Jolie]: Zen, I think Seven understands now…

[Zen]: ...I’ll stop here then, just for Jolie. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable talking about it anymore.

[707]: I’ll just stay quiet like a sinner.

[Zen]: Don’t just stay quiet - and do whatever you can to find him!!

[Zen]: Go there right now to collect evidence!

[707]: Okay…

[Zen]: I have to go right now, I’m trying to find some warm clothes for Jolie.

[Zen]: Oh, right. Jolie

[Zen]: do you want a cup of tea, honey?

[707]: well that’s kind of bipolar…

[Zen]: **Shut. Up.**

[707]: Okay T_T

[Zen]: Jolie, I’ll bring you something to wear and then I’ll make a warm cup of tea for you :)

[Jolie]: Okay ;-*

_Zen has left the chatroom._

[707]: …

[707]: I’m so sorry…

 

She sighed, but realized she wasn’t angry. In the end, she was safe - Zen had saved her, and…

 

[Jolie]: Seven, you did your best. Thanks for letting Zen know the address, I - I appreciate it.

[707]: T_T

[707]: It’s nothing… I should have told him faster…

[707]: I’ll call Jumin now. Tell him to send some bodyguards over to Zen’s…

[707]: I’m so sorry… I’ll let you go, I need to keep working.

[707]: Rest up.

_707 has left the chatroom._

 

Jolie closed the app, even though a few emails were sitting unanswered. She could hear Zen still moving around in the kitchen, but decided she couldn’t wait any longer. Another hug, that would help.

She threw her phone aside on the bed, deciding she didn’t need it right now, didn’t want to speak with anyone else. The rest of the RFA could take care of things; for now she just wanted to feel safe.

Zen was in the kitchen, a pair of his sweats waiting on the kitchen table as he busied himself preparing water to heat for her tea. When he heard the door open he turned, and his eyes widened at the sight of her wandering out wearing only his shirt.

“I - I’m sorry, you must be cold -”

“No,” she murmured, and took quick steps to the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. “I needed another hug, I -”

As soon as she said it his arms were back around her, a vice-like grip holding her against him. “I’m so sorry, I - I should have gone there faster, I should have demanded Seven tell me sooner, I -”

“Zen, you saved me, I’m - I’m fine,” she assured him, as if saying it to him would reassure her as well. Revisiting it with Seven had brought it all back, and she grasped Zen’s shirt where she held his back.

“I won’t go anywhere, I won’t leave you alone,” he told her. “I’ll protect you, Jolie. Just as you stood beside me when I was going through a rough time… I’ll be right here with you. I promise. I will never let you go.”

He finished his words with kissing her forehead, again and again, as if he could never kiss it enough.

“Zen -”

“I can’t lose you,” he murmured. “I realized that earlier. We - we haven’t even known each other for that long, but - I’ve never been more terrified of anything. I’m so scared to lose you, I - please, stay here. With me, from now on.”

“Yes,” she agreed softly, and she slipped her arms around his neck instead.

He resumed kissing her forehead, tangling one hand in her long, messy hair to hold her to him. It wasn’t enough, after everything she’d been through that day, everything he’d just said to her. She wanted to feel - wanted to feel him. When he pulled away slightly she raised her gaze, tilting her head up. He leaned down once more to kiss her forehead, and impulsively she strained up on her toes to meet him.

There wasn’t the dreamy, seamless romance a first kiss deserved, considering it took him by surprise and she missed, pressing her mouth on his chin. But after just a moment he adjusted and caught her lips with his, holding still as if scared to break the spell. Jolie sighed softly against his mouth, and he crushed her to him once more as he twisted his lips and parted hers.

What had started as an awkward first kiss soon took her breath away, until she was reeling under the ferocity with which he moved his lips on hers. With a deep breath he pulled away from her, still holding her hair as he stared down at her.

“Jolie, I - I can’t, I can’t stop myself around you, I just - I want - no, I can’t control myself,” he told her, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to hers.

She twisted one hand in the shirt he was wearing, her other cupping his cheek. “Then don’t,” she breathed. “Zen, I want -”

Her words were cut short by another searing kiss, and she stumbled back a few paces with its force, only to find his hold on her suddenly firmer to keep her from falling. They continued backing up, still kissing, gasping breaths slipping from her whenever his lips left hers for a second.

“Fuck, Jolie,” he murmured, breaking away as they crossed the threshold into his bedroom. “I love you, I - damn, I didn't mean to say it like this -”

“Zen I - I love you too,” she replied immediately, somehow knowing it was true. How it had happened in so short a time she wasn’t certain, but she found she didn’t care. This, right now - being here with him - this was what mattered, what she cared about more than anything.

“Why do you have to be so perfect, honey,” he whispered. He bent and lifted her easily, making certain to hold each of her thighs tight on either side of him.

An involuntary squeal left her as he fell onto the bed on top of her, his lips returning to hers as soon as they stopped bouncing. He was already in between her legs, his eager weight pressing her down until she wasn’t aware of anything but the feeling of him on top of her. His movements were quick as he pulled restlessly at the clothes he wore, trying to strip himself bare. When he broke their kiss to remove his shirt the moment slowed, Jolie placing her fingers on his chest and trailing them down each and every muscle as they flexed.

Even though he had seen her the other night on the sofa, had heard her again the night before as they pleasured themselves on the phone, her heart still raced as he began tugging at the shirt she wore. All of her fear from the day had faded, and now her heart was pounding against her ribs and her limbs were trembling with anticipation in its place. He seemed to notice, but he didn’t ask if she was all right; instead he finished baring her before he covered her with his body, holding her close to him to reassure her with his heat.

“Jolie,” he murmured, and he took her jaw in one hand. “Jolie - I love you. I love you, honey.”

She pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around his hips and returning her lips to his, greedy and eager for whatever attention he wanted to shower upon her. Their fingers took up keen explorations, feeling one another’s skin, caressing and trying to discover the spots that could make one another shudder. But his attention soon took up a rhythm that was unmistakable, silently telling her what he wanted. She arched into him, breathing a soft, _‘yes,’_ against his kiss.

He pulled away and she whined, but he merely reached for the nightstand and opened the drawer. Muttering indistinctly to himself he withdrew a box, opening it and peeking inside before he smiled. He pulled out a foil packet and checked it, then glanced at her. “I was - worried it would be expired, can’t remember the last time I…”

“And?” she prompted when he didn’t elaborate.

“It’s not, it’s fine,” he assured her, and he leaned back over her. Propping himself on his elbows above her he brushed her hair off her face, taking a moment to simply smile down at her. “Jolie -”

“Zen I want you,” she interrupted. “Please, ever since the other night - you’re driving me crazy.”

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”

As he said it he opened the packet and sat back on his heels, and she watched eagerly as he covered himself with the condom. When he stretched over her once more she wrapped her arms and legs around him again, the wait becoming almost too much to bear. His fingers slid over her clit, and the reminder of his touch from the other night made her moan. Little shivers raced through her, and she rolled her hips encouragingly.

“Please...”

“Oh honey you say it so sweetly,” he purred, and he took himself in hand to guide his length to her. His first thrust was slow, his unusual eyes holding her gaze and taking in the way she cried out, the way she pouted a whimper once he rested deep within her. “Jolie…”

She twisted a hand in his hair and kissed him, overcome by the feeling of absolute - _rightness_ , feeling him within her. Her kiss seemed to spur him on, and he began moving, rolling his hips and jerking them back into her at an increasingly rapid pace. After the hesitation and slight shyness he had shown in getting her into the bed, she was amazed by the lack of the same now. His hands moved confidently over her skin, his lips and tongue following as he gently sucked at every inch of her that he could reach while maintaining the steady rhythm of his thrusts.

Jolie couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in bed with someone, but even if she’d wanted to remember she wasn’t sure she’d be able to after this. Nothing existed in that moment beyond the feeling of him moving within her, or the tremors racing through her as he continued to rub her clit with his thumb. The sight of the muscles he was so proud of flexing with each of his movements made her moan, and he leaned back and pulled her hips into his lap, as if he knew she was enjoying the sight of him.

Her release surprised her, crashing over her faster than she expected until she was writhing, crying his name and clutching at the sheets as if that could steady her. As she slowly stilled his grasp tightened on her thighs and his face contorted, brows furrowing as he finally halted his steady movements within her and shuddered. Her name slipped from between his lips as a sigh, and he eagerly sought her gaze with his, a smile breaking across his face once he did.

For a long moment they simply stared at one another, and then he leaned over her once more, crushing her to his bare chest as he scattered every inch of her face with kisses.

“I love you - I love you - I love you,” he told her, giving his breathy chuckle as he said it. “Jolie - my Jolie, my love.”

“Zen - lovely Zen,” she sighed, remembering how excited he had been the first time she had said that to him. “I - I want to stay here, with you - I want to be yours.”

“You are,” he replied, raising his head so that he could smile down at her. “You are, honey. And I promise - nothing will hurt you. I’ll take good care of you. Always.”


End file.
